The 16th Combat Aviation Brigade Shoulder Sleeve insignia, or unit patch, was approved on 3 December 2009, just two-and-a-half weeks after the Brigade had been activated following a thirty-eight year period of inactivation (1971–2009).
The ultramarine blue field and the golden orange border are the colors that were authorized for the Aviation branch in 1983; they were also used by the Army Air Corps and Army Air Forces. A pair of white wings conveys the unit’s mission as Aviation, but a closer look reveals each wing has sixteen feather, denoting the numerical designation of the Brigade.
A dagger dividing the wings implies the airframe of a plane and also represents the combat readiness and swift-striking capability of the brigade. The blade intersects the seven stars forming the Big Dipper, part of the Ursa Major constellation and renowned night-sky sight; it signifies the unit’s nighttime combat and flight capabilities that enable it to own the night skies.
Related Items
16th Combat Aviation Brigade Unit Crest (DUI)
16th Combat Aviation Brigade Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)